IT Executive news

• BrandPost: Serving Two Masters: Agility Versus Stability

  02-12-2015 23:53
  
  CIOs today face a significant demand from their CEOs to drive growth. As such, they must deliver innovative technology that enables revenue growth—reaching more customers, more responsively, leveraging better information and shorter sales cycles. But at the same time, services need dependable and reliable delivery, since every business process today is truly a “digital” one.
  It’s definitely a tall order. CIOs need to be rock solid and agile at the same time. They must me
  
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• Office 2016's November update finally rolls out to early testers

  02-12-2015 22:22
  
  Last month, Microsoft showed off a group of new features for its Office 2016 client applications on Windows that it said would begin rolling out to users in November, first to those who want to test the latest functionality as part of the newly minted Office Insider program.
  That ... didn't quite happen. Because of unforeseen delays with the update, it's just now rolling out to members of the Office Insider program, giving them access to new features including the Morph transition in Power
  
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• Windows Server 2016 adoption will be a marathon, not a sprint

  02-12-2015 21:57
  
  Microsoft is launching the next version of Windows Server next year, and IT departments plan to take their time adopting it, according to a survey released Wednesday.Spiceworks asked 300 IT professionals at small, medium and large businesses about their plans for the new software, and found the majority plan to wait at least a year to deploy it after its release — if they plan to deploy it at all. Forty percent of those surveyed said they plan to wait between one and three years to start u
  
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• Dropbox to add European data storage next year

  02-12-2015 21:56
  Dropbox on Wednesday became the latest major cloud provider to announce new storage options in the European Union.Not only will the San Francisco-based company add two new European offices next year to its current roster of three, but it will also build new infrastructure for storing data within the EU.Customer requirements in the region have evolved, explained Thomas Hansen, the company's global vice president of sales and channel, in a post on the Dropbox for Business blog."This will not only
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 5 principles that should already be part of your technology strategy

  02-12-2015 21:40
  
  At the end of the year, we all like to take stock of emerging trends and prepare for those that will impact us in the year ahead. While none of us has a crystal ball, we have seen enough change in the past 12 months to cross some trends off the list—they have emerged, and they are our new reality.Though the pace of adoption will continue to vary (remember how many mainframes are still out there?), the adoption itself is undeniable. And yet, when I look at most organization’s IT strat
  
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• Microsoft jacks price of top-tier Office 365 plan by 59%

  02-12-2015 21:30
  
  Microsoft this week started selling a new premium-priced corporate Office 365 plan at $35 per user per month, a 59% increase from its previous top-of-the-line bundle.
  Analyst reaction was mixed to the pricing and the contents of Office 365 Enterprise E5, as the new plan is called. Some view it as a good deal that will attract small- and medium-sized businesses off the bat, others think it overpriced and unlikely to become more than a niche player in Microsoft's Office-by-subscription portfolio.
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 4 tips to make your meetings more successful

  02-12-2015 21:26
  
  During the recent movie “Interstellar” with Matthew McConaughey, there is a scene where several of the astronauts go down to the surface of a planet very close to a black hole. Because of this, time moves differently for those on the planet and the person left behind in the spacecraft. When the astronauts get back to their spacecraft, 23 years have passed for the astronaut left above and only a few hours for the ones who traveled to the planet.  As I sat in the movie theater wat
  
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• Java 9 delayed by slow progress on modularization

  02-12-2015 21:05
  
  Java 9, a major release of the standard Java platform that was planned for September 2016, is now likely to be postponed by six months.
  In an openjdk mailing list post this week, Oracle's Mark Reinhold, chief architect of the Java platform group, blamed the delay on complexities in developing modularization, which improves scalability and performance and is based on Project Jigsaw. "We've made good progress on Jigsaw over the last eighteen months," wrote Reinhold. But the current JDK (Java Deve
  
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• 7 security maneuvers to stay ahead of password exposures

  02-12-2015 19:31
  
  How to stay ahead of the criminalsImage by RobbieAttackers make unverified claims of compromised PayPal accounts on Pastebin. Here are seven security habits and maneuvers enterprises and consumers can use to stay ahead of password exposures.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Max Schrems launches new legal broadside at Facebook

  02-12-2015 19:21
  
  After bringing down the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor data transfer agreement, Max Schrems is turning his legal guns on the other mechanisms that enable the transatlantic commerce in Europeans' personal information -- and Facebook is in the line of fire again.Schrems wants Ireland's privacy watchdog to order Facebook to keep his data in Europe, along with that of other Europeans, and maintains that there is no legal basis on which it can safely export it to the U.S.He has filed two new complaints about Fa
  
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• Biggest data breaches of 2015

  02-12-2015 19:14
  
  Big data breaches made big news in 2015 as measured by a variety of criteria that range from the number of records compromised to the types of data stolen to the potential threat to specific groups such as children.
  The recent VTech Learning Lodge hack, for example, affected about 5 million adults and 200,000 children, including photos of parents and kids. By linking stolen children’s names with their parents’ names, attackers could figure out the last names and locations of the kid
  
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• OS X El Capitan upgrade tempo slows

  02-12-2015 18:32
  
  Adoption of Apple's OS X El Capitan slowed significantly in November, with the upgrade pace falling behind that of its predecessor at the same point in the 2014 edition's post-launch timeline.
  El Capitan, also identified as OS X 10.11, was released on the last day of September: 61 days later it had been installed on 38% of all Macs, according to analytics firm Net Applications. That was an increase of 11 percentage points from the month before, when the upgrade set an adoption record for a Mac
  
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• Mozilla kicks off annual fundraiser on Firefox's home page

  02-12-2015 18:09
  
  Mozilla Foundation has kicked off its annual fund-raising drive by placing the pitch on the home page of Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser.
  The non-profit runs a drive each December -- this is the fifth straight year -- to finance its education, research and public awareness campaigns and projects. The money raised does not go toward expenses incurred to develop and maintain the Firefox browser or Firefox OS. Mozilla relies on contracts from a variety of search providers, including Yahoo and Chin
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Apple Watch: How to understand haptic feedback in Maps

  02-12-2015 17:13
  
  The taptic engine on the Apple Watch provides haptic feedback for a variety of things, including Maps. Yes, you can use the Apple Watch to get around without even having to look at Maps on the watch or on your Phone. And I'll show you how in this tip.How to understand the Apple Watch's haptic feedback in MapsHere's how to interpret the haptic feedback you get from the Apple Watch while using the Maps app:1. Turn Left - The Apple Watch will tell you when you need to turn left by playing two taps
  
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• Plummeting SSD prices are quickly closing in on traditional hard drives

  02-12-2015 16:11
  The decision between solid state and hard disk drives should become a lot less agonizing over the next couple years as consumer SSD prices plummet.
  Research firm DRAMeXchange projects average SSD prices to hit $0.24 per gigabyte in 2016, down from $0.39 per gigabyte this year, Computerworld reports. Those prices will see another dramatic drop to $0.17 per gigabyte in 2017. Meanwhile, HDD prices are projected to stagnate at $0.06 per gigabyte over the next few years.
  In real-world terms, that me
  
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• Cisco patches permission hijacking issue in WebEx Meetings app for Android

  02-12-2015 15:50
  
  Cisco has fixed a vulnerability in its WebEx Meetings application for Android that allowed potentially rogue applications to hijack its permissions.The issue, which affected all versions of the app older than 8.5.1, stemmed from the way custom application permissions were implemented and assigned at initialization time.In addition to the default permissions defined by the OS, applications can declare and request custom permissions, a feature that the Android developers recommend be used only if
  
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• Chrome's notification center is the latest casualty in the war against browser bloat

  02-12-2015 15:42
  Google just stripped a major feature from Chrome—but it's one you’ll probably never notice is gone, and it's just the latest casualty in the new war on browser bloat.
  On Tuesday, Google pushed Chrome 47 to the stable channel, an update that removes the browser’s notification center on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The notification center delivered all kinds of information to your desktop, including package tracking updates, weather, sports scores, and other information typical
  
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• 6 job search tips for developers

  02-12-2015 15:01
  
  Job search tips for developersImage by ThinkstockWith the advent of mobile and Web apps, developers are in high demand across almost every industry. But the way companies look for candidates has changed over the years, especially with so many specific skills and disciplines that now fall under the umbrella of "developer." You'll want to be prepared for a number of different variables when it comes to landing the perfect developer job.Here are six tips to prepare yourself to find a job as a devel
  
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• Fitbit updates apps, Charge HR and Surge, but where are the new devices?

  02-12-2015 14:56
  
  It's been a year since Fitbit released its latest products, the Charge, Charge HR, and Surge. But the company, still king of activity trackers, recently delivered software updates that make Charge HR and Surge much more compelling, along with an enhanced mobile app that now has weekly exercise goals.Fitbit exercise goals
  If you use Fitbit for iOS or Windows, you can now set a goal for the number of days you want to exercise each week. (The feature is "coming soon" to Android.)To read this a
  
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• Day in the life of a social CIO: Shorenstein's Stuart Appley

  02-12-2015 14:13
  
  Stuart Appley was not a social media early adopter, but you won't know it now if you follow him on Twitter. The CIO of real estate firm Shorenstein joined Twitter in 2009, and it took him years to warm up to social and eventually become a champion for the medium. Today, he is prolific with his tweets.Flexible social media schedule
  ShorensteinShorenstein CIO Stuart AppleyTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IT Resume Makeover: How to cut through the technical noise

  02-12-2015 14:06
  
  Allen Bocian is the kind of guy who likes to let his experience speak for itself. The problem was there was so much to say that the pertinent message about his skills and knowledge was getting lost, and potential employers stopped listening.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Business drones will cause data management headaches for CIOs

  02-12-2015 13:36
  
  A world in which drones swoop out of the sky to deliver goods to your doorstep within minutes of you ordering them sounds exciting. But here's the bad news: For CIOs at companies that are planning to implement them, drones could be the source of some serious headaches.To understand why, it's important to be clear how business are likely to use drone technology in the near future.Drones have already been used to deliver pizzas in Russia and India. Amazon has proposed its Amazon Air service to get
  
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• How Apple does big phones better than Android

  02-12-2015 13:28
  
  Had I taken my Android vacation two years ago, it might have ended a whole lot differently. Back then, Apple was still trying to convince us of the benefit of thumb-to-screen ratio, and if I would have used the 4.9-inch Nexus 5 for a month, I’m not sure I would have switched my SIM back so quickly.
  To be honest, I don’t really want to go back to my iPhone 6 now. My time with the Nexus 6P has convinced me of the benefit of so-called phablets, and as soon as it’s available I&rsq
  
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• Forecast 2016: 5 disruptors to keep on your radar

  02-12-2015 12:30
  
  You've honed your list of hot technologies to focus on in 2016, but you also need to make longer-term plans and prepare for changes that are fast approaching by keeping an eye on developments just now taking shape.
  What should be on your radar screen as we head into the new year? The 182 IT professionals who participated in the Computerworld Forecast 2016 survey singled out these five potentially disruptive technologies and trends: the rise of DevOps, virtualization 2.0, carbon-reducing technol
  
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• Move over CISO: The Chief Data Officer may be sharing part of your job

  02-12-2015 12:06
  
  The C-suite is getting a little more crowded these days. Pull up a chair for the chief data officer, and it might be next to the CISO.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Review: WebEx and GoToMeeting meet their match

  02-12-2015 12:00
  
  Thomas Friedman famously announced that the world is flat in his 2005 book of that name; he was writing about globalization. In Friedman's view, VoIP, file sharing, and wireless were the "steroids" that have accelerated the flattening of global commerce. Today I'd add video over Internet, which has become more and more prevalent as bandwidth has improved.
  I used GoToMeeting for several years. In general, audio quality was good and has improved. Video quality can vary, but is much better if you
  
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• Oklahoma Sooners use beacons, sensors to find rooms on massive campus

  02-12-2015 12:00
  
  The University of Oklahoma has begun rolling out beacon technology to help students find study rooms and class information in its central library and other buildings by using their smartphones as they move about the vast campus in Norman, Okla.
  Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon hardware and new analytics software from Aruba, accompanied by GPS and new sensors working over Wi-Fi, can put the power of smartphones, carried by virtually all 29,000 students, in direct contact with the massive and gr
  
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• HP Enterprise joins battle for the edge of IoT

  02-12-2015 09:00
  
  The Internet of Things could help some companies save money or even boost sales, and the big names of enterprise tech are lining up to help their customers make the leap.Hewlett Packard Enterprise is in the thick of that pack. On Wednesday in London, it unveiled two gateway devices for gathering and processing data at the edges of IoT networks. The HPE IoT System EL10 and EL20 are available now.For enterprises, IoT holds out the promise of collecting information about what all the machines in a
  
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• IRS says it will get a warrant before using cell-site simulators

  02-12-2015 06:39
  The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is drafting a policy to restrict the use without a warrant of cell-site simulator technology to snoop on the location and other information from mobile phones.The head of the IRS, John Koskinen, wrote in a letter that the agency was drafting a policy that would mirror an earlier Department of Justice rule,  which requires a search warrant supported by probable cause before using the technology,  except in exigent or exceptional circumstances.Cell-site
  
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• LinkedIn mobile apps for Android, iOS get radical redesign

  02-12-2015 06:01
  
  LinkedIn today released a revamped version of its flagship mobile app. The company has pursued an unbundled mobile-app strategy for the past couple of years, and it resulted in the release of more than 10 standalone apps. LinkedIn LinkedIn for iOSThe core LinkedIn app was updated regularly since its last major overhaul in early 2014. However, many of LinkedIn past core features slowly shifted into single-use apps, and the company ultimately decided to develop a new app that aims to provide
  
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• Yahoo mulls sale of core Internet business

  02-12-2015 04:05
  Yahoo's board may be considering this week the sale of its core Internet business, after an activist investor demanded last month that the company explore the sale of its core search and display advertising businesses.The board will be meeting to discuss the sale in a series of meetings from Wednesday through Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Yahoo had previously planned to spin off its shares in Alibaba Holding Group, through a company called Aabac
  
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• Ransomware and scammy tech support sites team up for a vicious one-two punch

  02-12-2015 02:56
  
  Symantec has seen a curious fusing of two pernicious online threats, which would cause a big headache if encountered by users.Some websites offering questionable tech support services are also dishing up ransomware, which locks up a users files until they pay a fee to decrypt them.The support scams involve trying to convince users they have a computer problem and then selling them overpriced software or support services to fix it. It's often done via a pop-up message that urges people
  
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• Microsoft launches a contest: Give us your great HoloLens app idea, and we'll build it

  02-12-2015 02:37
  
  Microsoft wants you to help build the next HoloLens app. At least, that appears to be the goal of a contest the company kicked off Tuesday: Think up the best idea for the augmented-reality device, and Microsoft itself will make it.
  Microsoft isn’t asking for the community to actually develop the app, or even contribute code. Instead, a new Microsoft site asks users to contribute an idea before Jan. 11, 2016. The winner will basically receive a front-row seat to the app’s develo
  
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• Can computers write hit musicals? At this London theater, we'll soon find out

  02-12-2015 02:36
  
  Computers are increasingly pushing the bounds that have long separated them from humans, but so far their theatrical capabilities have remained largely untested. That may soon change, however, thanks to a new production slated to debut early next year at London's Arts Theatre.
  "Beyond the Fence" is not only "a powerful new musical about hope, defiance, unity and love," in its creators' words, but also an experimental production that was born as a collaboration among humans and computers.
  The go
  
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• Zuckerberg to give away 99% of his fortune, or about $45 billion, to new charity

  02-12-2015 02:35
  
  Following the birth of their first child, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan announced that they will give away 99 percent of their Facebook shares, currently worth about $45 billion, to a new charity the couple has founded.
  The couple announced the birth of their daughter, Max, on Zuckerberg’s Facebook page. But the real news is a plan to establish the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative “to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next
  
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• Toy maker VTech says breach hit 6.4 million kids' accounts

  02-12-2015 01:51
  
  Educational toy maker VTech has said 11.6 million accounts were compromised in a cyberattack last month, including those of 6.4 million children.The total number of accounts affected is nearly double that reported last week by the security news site Motherboard, which interviewed a hacker who claimed credit for the breach.Most of the account holders were in the U.S., including 2.2 million parents and 2.8 million children, VTech said Wednesday in Hong King, where the company is based. France
  
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• DARPA eyes faster design of military chips

  02-12-2015 01:50
  
  The U.S. military's research division has kicked off a project to accelerate its design of custom chips, so the latest semiconductor technologies can be used more quickly in defense applications.For specific tasks like processing and transmitting images from a surveillance system, a custom chip can often do the job faster and more efficiently than a general purpose microprocessor.The custom chips are smaller and consume less power, but it can take more than two years and $100 million t
  
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• Adobe isn't killing Flash, just changing the name of the tool that makes it

  02-12-2015 00:14
  
  Score one for the late Steve Jobs. Adobe is changing the name of Flash Professional CC, its web animation tool, to Animate CC. The goal is to accurately reflect the reality that web developers are using the tool to also create HTML5 content—“over a third of all the content” created with the app—according to Adobe.
  In a blog post announcing the change, Adobe credited Flash with “[pushing] the web forward.” But the company also conceded that HTML5, which i
  
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